Necticut



w. FRANKLIN n.3. mQHAns.

Carriage for 'Field (uns.l

N0. IIIZIQ, Patentgd March23,l875.

Miren erases YVILLIAM B. FRANKLL AND CHARLES B. R[CHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CON- Nncriccnassrexoes To cours ra'rnxr COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FIREARMS MANUFACTURING n BMPROVEMENT iN CARRIAGS FOR FIELD-GUNS.

Specification forming part of Lette rs Patent No. lllf), dated March 23, 1875; application tiled January 7, 1875.

To all vu-zom Ait mayconcern:

Be it known that we, XVM. B. FRANKLIN and CHARLES B. nonsens, ot' Hartford, in the county ot' Hartford and State ot Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Gun- `fai-ridge; and we do hereby declare the. following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a t'ull, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specilication, and represent, in

Figure l, Sheet l, aside view; Fig. 2, a top or plan view; Fig. 3, a rear view; Figs. 4 to ll, inclusive, Sheet 2, detached views to illustrate the details ot' construction; Figs. 12 to l5, inclusive, Sheet 3, the caisson and its attachment to the carriage.

rlhis invention rclatcs to an improvement in carriage tor mounting` the Gatling or similar guns, and partsot' which are applicable to carriages for other classcsotguns, the object being to produce a strong, light, durable, and convenient carriage, and the invention consists generally in the details ot' construction, as hereinafter i'ully seti'orth, whereby the carriage is composed principally ot' light wrought metal; also, in the arrangement ot' the frame supporting the caissons, whereby they are Turned back out ot' the way for the convenient working ot the gun; also, in constructing the caisson with independent pockets for the car- Ridge-cases.

'lhc axle on which the apparatus is mounted is constructed as seen in Fig. 1l. rlhis consists otl a wrought-metal tube, A, in length substantially the distance between the wheels, and at each end an arm, Ai, welded, brazed, or .otherwise practicallyP made a part ot' the axle. l`o these arms the wheels A2 are Iittcd in the usual manner. l`his produces alight and strong axle, and ot' cylindrical form, desirable l'or the convenience of mounting the other parts ot' the carriage, as hereinafter described. B, the trail. (Seen detached in Fig. 4.) This is made from inverted L l -shaped iron, (sce section, Fig. 7,) 'and toward the axle is oivided, and the two parts Bl B spread to form a bit'urcat-ed frame, (see Fie. 6,) reaching and 9.)

to the axle. At the axleend of this bifurcated frame the two parts B1B1 are united by an intermediate piece, B2. (Seen in Figs. 8 This piece B2 is formed with ears B3, perforated to pass on over the cylindrical axle, and fo'rin the 'attachment of the bifurcated frame with the axle. Freferably this attachment of the frame B1 with the .axle is made so as to prevent the axle from turning in the ears. In this piece B2 the socket B4 is formed to receive the pintle ot the gun, but at such an angle to the frame that, w'hen the trail is down, the socket will be vertical, or nearly so, as seen in Fig. 9.

The tip of the trail, which must be provided with a hand-bar, and with means for attaching it to the limber, is constructed, as seen in Fig. 5. A transverse socket, C, is constructed with a iange, O1, extending back upon the top of the trail, and a similar ange, O2, f0r.

ward. Beneath this socket C a shoe, D, forms the under termination ofthe trail, andis pret'- erably provided with spurs a. The forward end ot the shoe extendsupward, as' at al, and between this forward end d ot' the shoe and the flange CZ ot' the socket C, the loop E, or

device for att-aching to the liinberhis introduced, and lall these parts secured together, as seen in FiO. 5, to form the complete tip for the trail. F is the hand-bar, constructed to pass freely into the socket G, and is there secured by a pin, e, or otherwise, but so as to be easily removed by withdrawing the pin e.

'This hand-bar, when not required in the socket, is removed and suspended within the trail, the rear end lying in the loop F', and ,K

The frame or body' H for the caisson is' made ot' L-shaped or angle iron-'one of the frames seen in perspective, Fig. l2, the interior of the framecorresponding to the size of the caisson, so that the caisson will" set Within brought into a horizontal position, as seen in l broken lines, saine figure, 'and in Fig. l. Then turned up, the frames H are secured in thatfposition by connection with the trail through an arm, Hz, into a socket,lH3, as seen in Fig.' 1; Abut as in that position they would interfere `vviththe Working of thel gun, they are, when gin. use, turned down backward,-as

in Fig. 15, a chain or/cquivalent stop holding, themtin that position forward of the gunner,

Where, it' the framebe covered, they will afford a shield for the protection of tha gunner. The frames H are constructed with inwardly-projecting lugs JL,- and the caisson` with correspending recesses or notches l, (seaFig. 12,).

. so that .when the caisson is setpinto 'its framel these notches Z will pass ontothe lugs h, and thus prevent that end of the caisson from lifting out. At the other end of theframe a bar,

H1, is hinged to the france so as to beturnedup against the caisson; and providedxvith `projecting studs, a gto enter correspondin/gl vcavities m inAk the caisson; and the bar H1, secured in that position, securely holds the caisson in its frame until the bary 111 be turned away. o .n 'A

l .1B y constructing the inn'enside otleach fratrie ot Lshaped iron,' and arranging the two 1ra-mcs distant from each other equal to the w'idth of ,the caisson., as seen in Fig.' 10,"a third caisson may be set betweeirthe tivoout; side caissons when theguii js removed, and thisthi1'd-ca isson secured in liige manner as theOtherS; the hingedbars H extending in- Ward, and provided,` with an additional stud, et', aslseen in Fig. 12, foiythispurposc; These iframes, which, by Ithe peculiar shape of the metal of .Whichhey are/constructed, are extremely light andstroigby /that/ saine peculiar shape produce a secure seatt'or the cais- Snons; l 'T i l if "In the use of the Gatling and similar guns, the cartridges are placed in receivers or boxes as a convenient Ymeans for supplying the gun. `These Aboxes or receivers aregiirst iill'ed, and then placed in the caissons to be successively takenthsrefrom and placed upon the guiito supply cartridges thereto. tis essential that i /th/cse boxes should be held firmly, or nearly eso, in the caisson, and prevented from contact with each other. To do this;wc construct the lcaisson with vindependent pockets S, as' seen in Fig. 14, each pocket corresponding to, or

s0. a's to receive, a single cartridge-box, andy the caisson closed by an end door, T, 'Which,

duction or removal of the cartridgefboxes. y XVe claiinl as our inventionLand desire to receive by Letters Patenty `\1. The trail ot' a guncarage, constructedy f from l|.|s`haped `Wrought metal, substantially as des cribed,` and combined With atip and means lfor attachment to the'axle of the cara gun-carriage, the piece B, constructed to forin the socket B4 and ears B?, substantially as/and'for the Vpurpose described.

3.,.The tip forthe trail, consistingot the o 4c.` The hand-bar F,\reinova\bly arranged in fa recess beneath the trail, substantially as #and for thepurpose described. l 5. A gun-carriage caisson-frame, con structed` from angle or L-shaped'metal, arranged in the manner described, to receive and secure` the `caisson, substantially as described.

6. The bar P1, constructed with ears P? for attachment to the axle, coiubined with frames if Vixed thereon for the support of the caissons, /substantially as described. f

7. In a gun-carriage,` the arrangement of the caisson-framey to be turned down forward scribed 8. In a gun-carriage, the arrangement of the" caissonfranie t0 be turned downi'o'rwai'd ot lthe pintle'ot` .the gun, combined with'ineans, substantially as described, for holding said frame when so turned down forward, vand to the trail .when returned. f

f 9.,*Thc' combination of `the -rrame for' supporting the caisson P, and the hinged bar H provided With stud or studs a,'su'bstantially as described. f

' 10. Agun-carriagecaisson,constructed with longitudinal pockets opening toA the endgof the (caisson, substantially :ts-described.

,/V. B. FRANKLIN. g C. B; RICHARDS. NVitiiessesz l HnNRY'G. RoBrNsoN,

- Wal?, HENNEY. 

